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WHO IS CRISPIN BLUNT?

Born on July 15 1960, Crispin Jeremy Rupert Blunt is the son of Major General Peter Blunt and Adrienne.

Educated at Wellington College and then the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst, where he won the Queen's Medal, he went on to have a successful military career before entering politics.

Serving in the 13th/18th Royal Hussars (Queen Mary's Own) until 1990, he was stationed in Cyprus, Germany and the UK in the 1980s, and resigned his commission as a captain in 1990.

After reading politics at the University of Durham between 1981 and 1984, where he was president of the Union Society, he graduated with a 2:1 and went on to gain an MBA at the Cranfield University School of Management.

Mr Blunt contested his first parliamentary seat in West Bromwich East in 1992 and was made special adviser to defence secretary Malcolm Rifkind the following year.

In 1997, the married father-of-two was elected to parliament himself, winning the Reigate seat in Surrey - after saying even a donkey with a blue rosette pinned on could win the traditionally-safe Tory seat. The remark was seized upon by Sir George Gardiner, standing for the Referendum Party, who paraded a donkey along Reigate High Street.

He went on to be appointed to the House of Commons Defence Select Committee, where he could draw on his military background and experience.

In May 2000, the keen cricketer joined the Commons Environment, Transport and Regional Affairs Select Committee before being appointed shadow minister for Northern Ireland by Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith in June 2001.

He earned promotion in July 2002 and was quickly appointed to the number two position in Tim Yeo's shadow trade and industry team.

He resigned in 2003, calling for a vote of no confidence in Mr Duncan Smith, saying he was not 'making the impact we'd all like him to as a leader'.

He returned to the Defence Select Committee later that year, but found his way back to the Tory frontbench.

Last year he joined the Tory's home affairs team and was appointed Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice on May 14 this year.

In a statement, his office said: 'Crispin Blunt wishes to make it known that he has separated from his wife Victoria.

'He decided to come to terms with his homosexuality and explained the position to his family.

'The consequence is this separation.

'There is no third party involvement, but this is difficult for his immediate and wider family and he hopes for understanding and support for them.

'The family do not wish to make any further public comment and hope that their privacy will be respected as they deal with these difficult private issues.'

Mr Blunt, 50, has been the Conservative MP for Reigate since 1997.

The MP became a Parliamentary under secretary of state at the Ministry of Justice in May following the formation of the Tory-Liberal Democrat coalition Government.

The minister - whose niece is Golden Globe-award winning Emily Blunt - has been mired in controversy over the past few months.

He was slapped down by Downing Street in July after saying he was lifting a ban on prison arts events like comedy workshops and fancy dress parties.

Number 10 overruled him the following day, ordering that there would be no such parties.

He was then plunged into a fresh row after it emerged that newly released prisoners are to be given free mobile phones.

Last month, he indicated criminals could get their jail sentences slashed if they said sorry.

His justice department played down his call for a 'rehabilitation revolution', under which sentences could be reduced if offenders make personal apologies to their victims.

Mr Blunt was also told to stop claiming thousands of pounds in second home allowances on his London home because he lived there with his children.

He responded by asking if he could take out a second mortgage against his constituency home in Surrey and claim that on expenses.

When the fees office said no, he sold the house and bought a bigger property costing nearly twice as much - billing the taxpayer for £16,000 in stamp duty and fees.

Between 2004 and 2008 he billed a total of £87,728 in second home expenses, including £417 for the repair of a water wheel.

Mr Blunt courted embarrassment and controversy even before taking up his seat in Westminster at the 1997 general election.

He replaced long-serving Thatcherite MP Sir George Gardiner as
Conservative MP for Reigate, after eurosceptic rebel Sir George was
deselected by the local constituency association.

Election battle: A donkey named Crispin was paraded along Reigate High Street in 1997 by Sir George Gardiner in a bid to embarrass Mr Blunt after he said: 'You could put up a donkey as the Conservative in Reigate, and it would win'

Sir George then tipped off a local newspaper about Mr Blunt telling his
Conservative selection committee that even a donkey with a blue rosette
pinned on could win the traditionally-safe Tory seat.

Sir George, who stood at the 1997 election for the Referendum Party,
exploited Mr Blunt's blushes by parading down Reigate High Street a
donkey he named Crispin.

Mr Blunt was criticised three years later by bereaved relatives of
Harold Shipman's victims, after he cracked a joke comparing the serial
killer doctor to then-Labour health secretary Frank Dobson.

Before entering Parliament, Mr Blunt served as an army officer for 11 years, being stationed in Cyprus, Germany and the UK.

Split: Tory MP Gregory Barker left his wife Celeste for a man in 2006 after 14 years of marriage. The couple had three children

Forgiven: Former Liberal Democrat MP Mark Oaten - who hired the services of a rent boy - with his wife Belinda, who stood by him after the revelations

In 2006, Tory MP Greg Barker left his wife for a man.

Mr Barker had been married to Celeste for 14 years and had three children with her.

The same year, the then-Liberal Democrat MP Mark Oaten was exposed as having hired the services of a 23-year-old male prostitute.

He blamed a 'mid-life crisis' and the 'stress of going bald' for his actions.

His wife Belinda stood by him.

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Crispin Blunt separates from wife to 'come to terms with his homosexuality'